The BBC's dramatic military theme tune crashed through our living rooms - and was quickly followed by the prickly tale of a Great Budworth hedge.

And some lamp posts. And some gates. And a barbecue.

This, the BBC's 'Neighbours at War' series, showed the country Great Budworth as tycoon John Ryan sees it.

"We fought a war to stop little Hitlers," Mr Ryan said. "But little Hitlers still exist in this village."

He was referring to the folk of the village who have complained in the strongest possible terms about Mr Ryan's alterations to his dream home.

Village officials like Rod Bowman have even taken their complaints to Vale Royal Borough Council, whose decision on Mr Ryan's home, The Farthings, is expected in the next few weeks.

In the programme, Mr Bowman, and his friend Andrew Curtis, were filmed standing next to Mr Ryan's electronic gates.

"It used to be a donkey shed, you know," Mr Curtis told viewers. "I liked the donkeys. I don't like the shed."

Mr Bowman added: "There's a frightful glare off those lamp-posts. Notes which jar are perfectly acceptable in suburbia - but not here."

In fact, much of Mr Ryan's case at the borough council's public enquiry consisted of proving that Great Budworth was a suburban environment.

But Mr Bowman still believes that Westage Lane has been blighted by Mr Ryan's home.

"This is one of the finest pieces of villagescape in the country," he said. "But the eye is drawn straight down this little lane here - and it meets this."

Mr Ryan, chief executive of plastic surgery company Transform Medical Group, spent £400,000 on his home.

"I wanted to enjoy the fruits of my labour," he said. "And they immediately think - 'right, nouveau riche, we'll get him'. Whatever I do, they'd criticise."

Mr Curtis said the more Mr Ryan fought the village, the tougher he would find it.

"He has tried to bully the village," he said. "And my hackles go up when I get bullied."

But yesterday, Tuesday, Mr Curtis was keeping tight-lipped about the programme's reception across the country.

"I have been a source of immense entertainment to Great Budworth in years gone by," he told the Guardian. "But on this matter I think it's better that I keep my head down. No comment."

For his part, Mr Bowman said he had no qualms about the programme.

But the final word of the feature was left to John Ryan himself.

"At least everyone now knows what Great Budworth is about," he concluded. "I'll be leaving with no regrets whatsoever."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.